Connecter



NOV. 24, 1931. wlLHELM 1,833,145

CONNECTER Filed July '7, 1925 WWW W WWW INVENTOR Hwu hwm ing rods, wi'res,etc.to other members, as, for

Patented Nov. 24, 1931 written stairs-as HAROLD FREDERICK wILH-ELM, OFYNEW sem -mm,

'comornn I J Application the my 7,.

My inventionrelates to devices for connectinstance,-binding posts and the like; More specifically, my invention relates to a con necter which may be secured to an ordinary binding post and to which an electric wire 7 may be quickly attached or detached.

drawings in which One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a connector which will tenaciously grip a rod or-wire inserted therein by spring action and yet provide'adequate and large contacting area between said connecter and rod, so that the connection will be both mechanically and electrically excellent.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description and appended claims when considered with the accompanying Fig. 1 shows a development of a sheet metal tube having slots cut therein, from which'the connection is made. 7 Y Q Fig. 2 shows an elevation of the sheet metal tube from which the connecteris madewith I finger pieces thereon.

Fig. 3 shows an elevation of ready for use.

Fig. 4 shows a plan View of my connecter ready for use, the dot-tedlinesrepresenting the position of the finger pieces when they are rotated to enlarge the throat to allow insertion of a conductor.

my connecter Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of my con-- I an angular position shown in Fig. 7 The ele? ments 3 will still be straight lines. The figure shown in Fig. 7 isknown as a hyperboloid of revolution and its inner and outer surfaces are knownas warped surfaces.

It should be noted that the portion of the reduced to zero.

, formed into shape. A 'material.

1925. Serial no. 41,932,, p I

'hype'rboloid between its'ends'is contracted to form a gorge or throat; The, size of the gorge or throat depends upon how large an angle the disks 1 and2 are moved relatively toeach other. If thedisks are moved thru a sufl'ici'ent angle the size of the gorge or throatcan'be To apply this to make a good connecter, a material is used which can be worked soft and then subsequently tempered to give spring and elasticityafter the connecteris." 7

sheet brassisasuitable The material maybe initially infeither 5 sheet or tube form. If initially in tubefor'm, as shown in Fig. 2 longitudinal slots 10 are cut in the tube 4' to provide longitudinalstrips or members? connecting an upper ring 11 and lower ring 12. If the inaterial-is initially in sheet form, the longitudinal slotsf 10 "may be cut to providethe, strips/7 while thej'material is in sheetigfbrm. The sheet'is Ithen rolled into cylindrical form,"its edges being suitably secured together'tfiform the "tube 4 asshown i'n'FigiQ. *"Atthis point the fin ger piecesf5 maybe suitablyjattached to the upper ring 11.".

a The tube 4 is then twisted a. f rm s t-011' necter of the shape shown in Fig. 3;; The upper ring 11is rotated relatively tothe lower ring 12 by a suitabledevicathe rings being held apart as far 'as possible so that the elements 7 remain as straight as possible 'inthe twistingpr'ocess, allof the-bend take ments 7 ioin' therings 11 and 12.

1 111g place at the points where the strips or ele- "The width of the-slots before forming the connecter dependson the amount the'upper and lower rings are to be relatively twist- 1 i ed. It should be noted; that as the upper and lower rings are moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 to'that shown in'Fig.- 3, the slots 10 become narrower. In order to'provide maximum {areaof contact between the connecter and an insertedconductor, the distance betweenadjoining elements7 when a conductor is gripped should be substantially zero; Therefore, when form-ing'the connec- "ter, before tempering, the rings '11 and 12 should be moved relatively till the elements 7 touch eachother at the throat or gorge 8, if maximum area of contact is desired. The upper ring 11 now, maybe flared slightly out wardly andthe lower ring may be provided 1 After the connecter has been formed in the shape show-n 3, it .-may be tempered. The shape shownj-in Fig. 3cnow is the normal shape of the connecter and force is required to deform it from its normal shape, the clasticity of the material resisting forceito ehange its shape and actingto bring the connecter back to normal shape when the deforming} force is removed. r V. H I v If it is desired to connect 'th'eficonductori), the pper ring ,is gripped means iof the iingerpiecesz and twisted in such atdirection its tofopenfthe threat.8.-- EhQ1eon iiCtor+9 is inserted and the -.elasticity solf ythe Jnaterial -causes the .-'conductorto v hej tenaciously.

"If desired, the inside edgesof the elements I ay he slightly iburred or roughened to provide a slight biting action .into "the conducton I f 3 Q h C Ilhe connecter should :be; formed in such manner that whenthe upperringlliisatwisted to open the throat 8, the force or {twisting will: tighten .rhe :engagement 10f ,the screw; threads 6 withthoseomtheibindingpost (not "amt 1 V a A e is sknown :that: spring type connecters are jche toImakeand permitvatconductor to be, e it'ya t i r a he Br w n -type connecters it 'is new, -,those made-of; spring metal ,wvhich must be mamuallyfieformefd to admit gagconductor andwhich then :the conductor hy zatheir elasticity 4e1- ,tendency to ireturn to their normal shape;

eb hey .i s b'e 'tWssw de at-$7,

v however. Einst :it is sometime diflicult (to thread a wire into the conn'ecter :theeonnectar list-in a position not easilygaccessible, and second," zthey contact the condu;ctor only pat; about {two points and :thenefiore dos-not provide 5a good low resistance, high current carrying n-n on-v i I ineans zof the invention, both .these. disadnantages aa'eoverc,ome awithout sacrificing Bio. ;.of.-the, general-fadnantagesyet :a vspring 7 type connecter; connecter 1 acjeording to invention .ygrips :a conductor practically 'fzha'oughoutethe entire -.-,c iroum-ferenee I of the conductor {and :dHBnliO the-resilience or bend ahe-fmetal of the comiecter, it grips the conductor ztorasubstantial part of'its length, thereby; "insuring :a icontinuous icylindric a1 surface of icontact of -large extent icompared .7 .Fiurso :the :oress. sect-ion of the conductor. am

thermore, :due @to sthesfunnclxsha-pe mpening .of-itherconnecteriand:its :lfispesitienrin :line a necter Without opening the connecterby the usual twisting operation;

Having described myv invention, I am entitled to all modifications thereof that fall Vvention as defined inthe following claims:

1.: A, connecter comprlsing an upper ring,

alower ring, a plurality of substantially straight elements connecting said rings mak- V ing an angle with. the axis thereof, said rings being' adapted-ioizbe irotated relatively to cause said elements to bend at their junctions with said rings to increase the distance be- "be inserted."

tween elements to allow a conductor to 30 i ztwisted relatively- ;against the elasticity of the metal to open the gorge to receive band clamp a-niemherto beeonnected.

1 3. A nonnecter compi using, \a plurality of spaced straight line :elements,. and. means I 7 whereby said-element's are positioned tosurround-an inserted member and whereby said timings warped surface,

4. A sheet metal connecter comprising an upper closed ring,'\a lower-closed ring, mem- -her gripping means .hetween said rings and means "for relatively rotating said-rings to enlarge lsaid 'anemberegrlpplng means tto -receive the-member to be connected, saidrings and member gripping means being {of I one ,p ece oi sheet metal. v

V 5,,' In a spring connecter, a member-gripping portion comprising aplurality,ofunil:

ripheries.

6. A conneoter comprising spacedrings of fixed SlZ8 a plurality of elements connect- ,elements-maygrip the same, saidelements deingsaid,rlngs aidelements havingt'heir ends malntam :a substantially lfixedrposrtion rela tlve to g ven portions of the respective rings so (thatsaidlends partake of movement of said rings, and means iwhereby relative r0;

tation ofsai'd ringscauses .a,member.inserted into the connectertobereleased.' I

the ilongitillinail er the --binding 1 ipest-it.isyeryaasyfiozthmad:anonductorinto 1:116: the conductor zfiairly-sstifli, in some ic'aseaitunay the iiorced idinedtly :into :the men- HAROE? F -WILH L -i fairly within the spirit and scope of the in-' 70' 

